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The University of Maine at Fort Kent’s tenth annual Scholars’ Symposium will take place on Tuesday, April 30th and Wednesday, May 1st on the UMFK campus.  The theme of this year’s event is, “Live LIFE: Your Voice, Your Success.”

The two-day showcase of students’ academic achievements begin with a showing of the film, "The King’s Speech" followed by a discussion will be held on Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm in Nadeau Hall on the UMFK campus. The film portrays the story of King George VI, his impromptu ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his speech impediment.

On Wednesday, May 1st, the symposium will begin with a welcome from UMFK President Dr. John N. Short at 9 a.m. in Fox Auditorium, followed by the keynote speaker Elizabeth Peavey. 

Maine author Elizabeth Peavey will speak about the importance of effective communication and the role it plays in professional life. She will also offer strategies, tips, and tricks to start you on your path to embrace public speaking, rather than run in fear from it. 

Maine native Elizabeth Peavey is an award-winning writer, performer and educator. Her one-woman show, My Mother’s Clothes Are Not My Mother, has played to sold-out houses since 2011 and received the Maine Literary Award for Best Drama. She served as lecturer of public speaking at the University of Southern Maine for more than 20 years. She currently coaches corporate and private speech clients in fields ranging from the arts and advocacy to finance and industry. She performs a teaching version of her show at conferences and symposiums and often serves as keynote at similar events.

Peavey is the author of three books and has appeared in Down East magazine since 1993. Her humor column, "Outta My Yard," can be found at thebollard.com. She taught creative non-fiction at University of Maine at Farmington and has lead writing workshops for Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance since the days of quill and parchment. She frequently works with older adults – both on site and online – helping them share and preserve their life stories. She’s also a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at schools, libraries and associations across the state. All of which is to say she’s never been able to hold down a real job.

At 10:20 a.m., attendees will hear from students who will present in Fox Auditorium until 11:30 a.m.

Following lunch, the symposium will move to the UMFK Sports Center from 12:30 pm to 2:00 p.m. for the ever-popular poster and project session, where students display poster presentations of their research or projects, and answer questions about their methodologies and findings.

For further information on the symposium, please contact Jeff Dubis, symposium coordinator, at (207) 834-7543 or jdubis@maine.edu                                                                

UMFK Scholars' Symposium fosters a community of engaged educators, researchers, and life-long learners who value academic excellence, scholarship, and intellectual curiosity.  The two days of stimulating presentations and discourse focuses on issues relevant to the region and to the institution's mission, which commits to experiential learning, responsible citizenship, and environmental stewardship in its Franco-American, rural setting.